1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of wire stripping apparatus and methods therefor and, more specifically, to a laser wire stripping apparatus which is able to cut the insulation around large diameter wires/cables (hereinafter wire) without damaging the conductors. The laser wire stripping apparatus uses a rotary optics head assembly to focus and rotate a laser beam around the circumference of the wire. The laser wire stripping apparatus further has a positive pressure air section in the rotary optics head for keeping the optics free of smoke and particulates and to clean debris generated by laser cutting the wire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commercially available wire is typically covered by an insulating material. To facilitate coupling wire to an electrical connector, one must first remove a segment of the insulation from the wire. In the past, mechanical, hand operated tools were used to remove the insulation from the wire. Removing the insulation with these hand operated tools was a relatively slow and labor intensive process. Thus, these devices are inefficient for high quality stripping of large diameter wire. Furthermore, when using a hand operated mechanical wire stripping apparatus, there is a significant probability of damaging the conductors when the insulation is being removed.
Mechanical devices generally use a knife to remove the insulation from the wire. Generally, a pair ofxe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d knives are used to find the diameter of the wire. Thexe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d knives come down and crush into the wire. Thexe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d knives are then rotated around the circumference of the wire in order to cut the insulation. Since xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d knives are not perfectly round and since the xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d knives do not match the contour of the wire, the xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d knives have a tendency to nick and damage the conductors of the wire.
Another prior art wire stripping device consists of one or more rotary blades. The blades rotate thereby cutting the insulation when the wire is placed near the blades. While the rotary blade device is certainly faster and more efficient than a hand operated device, it still suffers from the problem of potential wire damage when removing the insulation.
Other prior art wire stripping devices have implemented lasers, as opposed to mechanical means, to cut a portion of the insulation in order to permit a user to remove a segment of the insulation from the wire. However, laser cutting systems also have several problems. First, many laser cutting systems use an X-Y positioning system. These laser cutting systems generally use a single laser which only moves in a single plane (i.e., X-Y plane). The problem with moving only in a single plane is that with large diameter wires, the ends on either side of the wire are completely out of the depth of the field of the focusing lens. Thus, the insulation on the sides of the wire may not be cut by the laser.
Another problem with present laser wire stripping apparatuses is that they do not effectively remove smoke and other particulates from the channel assembly when the insulation is being cut by the laser beam. When the laser cuts the insulation, smoke and other particulates are generated. If the smoke and other particulates are not adequately removed from the channel assembly, they will interfere with the laser beam. The interference of the smoke and particulates will cause the optical components of the wire stripping apparatus to be damaged. Further, the smoke and particulates generated by the laser stripping process will cause the wire to be significantly contaminated. The smoke generated by laser cutting the insulation may be potentially toxic. Thus, if the smoke is not properly removed from the area, the smoke may cause serious health problems to those around the apparatus.
The channel assembly through which the laser is sent is generally made of a plurality of components. The plurality of components make for a more costly apparatus and produces a less accurate cut. By simplifying the channel assembly, fewer components are required. Furthermore, fewer components will also provide for a more stable environment thereby increasing the accuracy and stability of the apparatus.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved wire stripping apparatus. The improved wire stripping apparatus will use a laser which is able to be focused and rotated around the entire circumference of a wire thereby providing for a more uniform cut of the insulation covering the wire. The laser wire stripping apparatus must have an exhaust system which properly removes the smoke and particulates from the apparatus. The improved laser wire stripping apparatus must be built with fewer components thereby providing for a more stable environment and a more accurate cut by the laser wire stripping apparatus.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wire stripping apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved wire stripping apparatus that uses a laser which is able to be focused and rotate around the entire circumference of a wire thereby providing for a more uniform cut of the insulation covering the wire.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved laser wire stripping apparatus that has an exhaust system which properly removes smoke and particulates from the apparatus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved laser wire stripping apparatus that is built with fewer components thereby providing for a more stable environment and a more accurate cut.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention an assembly for use in a laser wire stripping apparatus is disclosed. The assembly has a single piece channel assembly which has a pathway for allowing a light source to travel through the channel assembly to a cylindrical cavity in the channel assembly. A collet is provided and has a passageway for insertion of a wire. The collet has an opening, which when the collet is properly inserted into the cylindrical cavity, is in alignment with the pathway thereby allowing the light source to travel to the wire in order to remove insulation from the wire. A housing assembly is used for holding the channel assembly and for allowing the channel assembly to rotate within the housing assembly. The housing assembly has an air insertion opening and an exhaust opening. The air insertion opening is used to pressurize optical components of the apparatus in order to keep the optical components free of contaminates and to blow debris out of a laser cut in the insulation of the wire. The exhaust opening is used for clearing smoke and debris from the channel assembly.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention a laser wire stripping apparatus is disclosed. The laser wire stripper has a housing. A laser generator is provided for generating a light source. A single piece channel assembly is located within the housing. The channel assembly has a pathway for allowing the light source to travel through the channel assembly to a cylindrical cavity in the channel assembly. A collet is provided and has a passageway for insertion of a wire. The collet has an opening, which when the collet is properly inserted into the cylindrical cavity, is in alignment with the pathway thereby allowing the light source to travel to the wire in order to remove insulation from the wire. A housing assembly is provided and is used for holding the channel assembly and for allowing the channel assembly to rotate within the housing assembly. The housing assembly has an air insertion opening and an exhaust opening. The air insertion opening is used to pressurize optical components of the apparatus in order to keep the optical components free of contaminates and to blow debris out of a laser cut in the insulation of the wire being cut. The exhaust opening is used for clearing smoke and debris from the channel assembly.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.